For Immediate Release
April 15th, 2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, April 15th, the Biden-Harris administration announced that they will be designating Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This welcomed news comes after years of advocacy led by directly impacted community members and Black immigrant advocacy groups, such as the Cameroon Advocacy Network and Haitian Bridge Alliance. At a time when the discourse around the moral obligation to welcome those fleeing conflict zones has taken center stage, the continued deportation of Cameroonians to an active war zone felt especially cruel. It is not lost on us that the journey to get to what should've been an obvious decision took years instead of days.
As we celebrate the life-saving protection TPS will provide for thousands of Cameroonians, we also mourn the harm that came to those who were deported back to dangerous conditions. The unnecessary delay in announcing this designation, which resulted in the detention, forced disapperance, sexual assault, and torture suffered by Cameroonian asylum seekers deported back painfully showcases the anti-Blackness that exists within the immigration enforcement system at large. A key step towards remedying the harms caused by the delay in designation is a strategic and equitable implementation plan.
We urge the Administration to immediately publish a Federal Register Notice (FRN) to provide eligible Cameroonians the opportunity to apply for TPS as soon as possible. An FRN publication would also officially open the registration period needed to facilitate the release of Cameroonians who are currently detained by ICE and CBP. In the spirit of accessibility, we also recommend that the Administration waive the registration fees for TPS. This is particularly critical in light of the ongoing economic crisis many people face as a result of COVID-19, with many individuals depleting their savings or being unable to secure and maintain employment. Lastly, the Administration must put in place a robust, culturally competent community outreach plan, which should include stakeholder meetings, access to legal services for detained Cameroonians, and funding/grants for NGOs to assist in resourcing outreach programs.
The current conditions in Cameroon made it a textbook case for TPS designation. Other majority-Black countries, with very similar conditions, must also receive TPS designation immediately. We hope Mauritania with the widespread practice of enslaving its Black population andEthiopia with the armed conflict and humanitarian crisis in its Tigray region will also receive TPS designation soon.
###
